A press group has been triggered by the NRA's advertising campaigns. Chris Pedigo, the senior vice president of government affairs at Digital Content Next, which represents major outlets like 21st Century Fox, The New York Times, the Associated Press, and the BBC, among others, sent a letter to NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch noting that they did not appreciate her recent ad spots.
In a viral video published earlier this year, Loesch told the NRA's supporters that outlets like The New York Times cannot be trusted. She and other NRA members are "coming for" the “untrustworthy, dishonest rag,” she said.
Her words, Pedigo argued, could very well lead to violence against reporters.
"It's your equal right to express your disagreement with viewpoints expressed by The New York Times or any other news organizations. The Constitution and its amendments are not ripe for cherry picking," the trade group said in Tuesday's letter. "However, when you use such incendiary language as 'we're coming for you,' it is our right to suggest in the strongest terms that your behavior is blatantly irresponsible as it may incite violence against journalists."
"Ninety-nine people out of a hundred would interpret this language as threatening and to suggest otherwise is disingenuous at best and dangerous at worst. Bottom line: It is un-American to threaten journalists," the letter said.
Loesch has denied threatening the media. Anyone who interpreted the video that way, she said, was pushing “their violent fantasies on to others.”
She wasn't done.
Basically, I’m told that it is “unAmerican” to question the media. Oooookay.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 5, 2017
There is deliberate effort by some in media, not all, to limit free people’s ability to factcheck reporting by calling said act “incendiary”
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 5, 2017